Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT Trims Stock Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT lowered its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 170,207 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 1,903 shares during the quarter. Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $51,724,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 142.9% during the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 162.5% during the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $333.23 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $315.34 and its 200 day moving average is $309.60. The stock has a market cap of $237.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $336.00.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.McDonald’s’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.83 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.26%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other McDonald’s news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $2,005,760. This represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total value of $2,006,218.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,606 shares in the company, valued at $1,407,133. This trade represents a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 71,550 shares of company stock valued at $23,484,957 over the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MCD shares. Erste Group Bank upgraded McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $337.57.

More McDonald’s News

Here are the key news stories impacting McDonald’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is rolling its Big Arch Burger into U.S. menus for a limited time — a larger, promotional sandwich that has driven traffic in other markets and fits the “bigger-burger” trend; this could boost short‑term ticket and visit frequency. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal and promotional menu items continue: the Shamrock Shake campaign is back, driving brand engagement and incremental visits around St. Patrick’s Day. These limited-time items support traffic and social buzz. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s India (West & South) owner Westlife Foodworld is running a Protein Week with low-price, app-focused protein options and free delivery promo — a targeted, value-led push that can grow AUVs and digital ordering in a fast-growing market. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: JPMorgan raised its MCD price target to $325 and kept an Overweight rating, and Erste Group upgraded MCD to Buy, signaling confidence in sales momentum and McDonald’s financial profile for 2026. Note JPMorgan’s new PT still sits modestly below the current quote, so upside expectations are mixed. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term perspective pieces highlight MCD’s solid multi‑year returns and low‑volatility dividend profile; useful context for investors weighing valuation vs. growth, but not immediate catalysts. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational tweak: McDonald’s updated cash handling/check-out rules as pennies phase out — a minor customer-experience and cost/handling change with limited stock impact. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/market weakness (broader market sell-off and Dow declines) is pressuring equities including MCD today — an external headwind that can overwhelm company-specific positives in the near term. Read More.

McDonald’s Profile

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is a global quick-service restaurant company best known for its hamburgers, French fries and breakfast offerings. The company develops, operates and franchises a system of restaurants that sell a range of food and beverage items, including signature products such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, McCafé coffee beverages and a variety of salads, desserts and seasonal menu items. McDonald’s serves customers through company-operated restaurants and franchised locations, and it supports sales via dine-in, drive-thru, digital ordering platforms and third-party delivery partnerships.

Founded in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald as a single San Bernardino, California restaurant, the business was transformed into a franchising model after Ray Kroc joined in the mid-1950s and led the brand’s national and international expansion.